The present invention relates to a packaging machine for forming a web of packaging material into a vertical tube, filling contents into the tube, dividing the tube into lengths each corresponding to one container to form baglike containers and finally preparing rectangular parallelepipedal containers, and more particularly to a filling device and a cleaning device for use in such a packaging machine.
As disclosed, for example, in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-16755, such a packaging machine is known wherein a liquid filling pipe has a liquid contact lower portion separable from its upper portion and which is provided with a cleaning liquid collecting duct removably connectable to the upper portion of the filling pipe with the lower portion removed therefrom. To clean the filling pipe, the lower portion is removed from the upper portion and is cleaned separately from the upper portion, and a cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper portion with the collecting duct connected thereto for cleaning the upper portion of the filling pipe.
With the conventional machine, the lower portion of the filling pipe needs to be separated from its upper portion when the filling pipe is to be cleaned, and the separated lower portion must be connected to the upper portion after cleaning. Thus, the cleaning work requires a cumbersome procedure for the separation and connection.